OCR English Language Past Papers
OCR publishes its specification, sample assessment materials and mark schemes openly. They are linked here as they are.
How papers are handled here
Official papers are linked, never copied. OCR owns its question papers, source material, mark schemes and examiners' reports. Every official item below opens on ocr.org.uk. This site hosts no copy of any of them and links to no paper-sharing site.
RCF English is not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by OCR. OCR owns its name, logo and assessment materials, none of which appears on any RCF material.
Official OCR materials
| Type | Component | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification page: specification, past papers, mark schemes and reports | Both | OCR GCSE English Language J351 |
| Specification at a glance | Both | Specification at a glance |
| Full accredited specification | Both | J351 specification PDF |
| One-page summary of both components | Both | English Language at a glance PDF |
| Sample assessment material | Component 02 | J351/02 sample assessment material |
| Mark scheme | Component 01 | J351/01 mark scheme |
| Administration, entry codes and deadlines | Both | Administration |
| Schemes of work | Both | Scheme of work |
Read the mark schemes, not just the papers
OCR's mark schemes set out the level descriptors for every question - what separates a commentary from an explanation from an analysis on the AO2 questions, and how the eighteen-mark question is marked as 12 for AO4 plus 6 for AO3 and then added.
A student who reads the eighteen-mark descriptors once, before attempting the question, will understand why evaluation matters more than comparison. A student who does three more papers without ever reading them will keep making the same error and never know why.
Original RCF model paper
There is not yet an RCF model paper for OCR J351. AQA and Edexcel each have one - see the AQA Paper 2 model paper and the Edexcel Paper 2 model paper - and an OCR pair will follow the same pattern: original texts, verified structure, a separate marking guide and clear labelling as unofficial practice material.
In the meantime, the AQA Paper 2 model paper is useful practice for OCR Component 01, since both pair a 19th-century non-fiction text with a modern one. The mark allocations differ, so use it for the reading skills rather than for timing.
Questions about OCR past papers
Where can I get OCR English Language past papers free?
From OCR itself. Past papers, mark schemes and examiners' reports are published on the J351 qualification page, and sample assessment materials and the specification are free to download.
Some recent series are restricted to registered centres for a period after the examination. Your school will have access; ask a teacher rather than looking for the paper on a sharing site.
How many past papers should I do?
Fewer than most students think, and each one properly. Two papers done under timed conditions and then marked carefully against OCR's mark scheme are worth more than six papers attempted and never marked.
Because both OCR components share the same question shape - 2, 2, 6, 12, 18 then a 40-mark writing task - practice on one paper transfers directly to the other, which means you need less material than you would for a board with two differently-shaped papers.
Can I use AQA or Edexcel papers to practise for OCR?
For skills, yes. For timing and structure, no.
All four boards assess the same six assessment objectives, so analysis of language and structure, comparison and evaluation all transfer. But the mark allocations and question wording differ, and practising to another board's timings will leave you badly paced. Use other boards' papers for reading practice and OCR's own for full mock conditions.
Related pages
OCR overview
Both components and the AO grid.
Component 01
Question by question.
Component 02
Question by question.
GCSE English overview
All four boards compared.